The Ultimate Utility Man (Part 2)

"I am a generous man, very generous," Ian said, pleased with Martha's performance. "From the moment you walked in, you kept calling us three sers. I didn't correct you at the time, but in truth, those two are merely my squires."

"Squ—squires?!" Martha abruptly looked up at Roar and Keith, seemingly hoping they would speak up in objection. But she was quickly disappointed, because these two knights—squires—sat respectfully beside Ian without the slightest sign of displeasure.

"This is the reward for loyalty and diligence." Ian withdrew both hands and placed one on Roar's shoulder and the other on Keith's. "I told you, I'm very generous. And I'm also very wealthy."

The Gold Dragons were now fully exposed before Martha. She stared at the coins within arm's reach, but this time, she did not dare reach out and grab them.

"My father owns twenty oceangoing ships. Every year, our family's trading fleet returns from Volantis, Qarth, and even Yi Ti, bringing back tens of thousands of Gold Dragons.

And I, the one who will inherit all of it in the future, am being questioned.

They say I have no ability, that I lack wisdom and courage. I told them none of that was necessary, because I have money—enough money to make the wisest and bravest people serve me. That will make me unstoppable.

In the end, I made a bet with my uncle Jaime. He told me to bring my two squires and hunt down these fugitives who committed crimes in King's Landing. And through this operation, I was to prove my abilities to him." Ian picked up a Gold Dragon and placed it in Martha's palm.

"If this goes well and I'm happy, I can even give all of you the reward the queen offered. But if this gets screwed up, I may become a very difficult man to deal with. Now, you understand how important this is to me, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then can you persuade Black Falcon to work for me?" Ian asked with a smile.

The story he had just told was not really for Martha's benefit. For a commoner like her, those twenty Gold Dragons alone were more than enough to win her over.

The reason Ian had spent time telling her that story was mainly so she would embellish it and repeat it to Black Falcon.

Based on Ian's understanding of common folk like Martha, he could practically imagine how she would boastfully retell the story to her old acquaintance after meeting someone as impressive as himself.

After all, he was going to work directly with Black Falcon. Bragging to the man personally about how formidable he was would have seemed cheap. Letting Martha do the talking was just right.

"Of course, ser. If it's you, I think Boss Mogen will give you that respect." Martha nodded shakily.

Everyone respected money. "By the way, are all the mercenaries in your inn now Black Falcon's men?"

"Ah, no. Only half. There are..." Martha paused for several seconds, as if trying to remember. "There are seventeen in total. Six belong to Knife-Face's Mercenary Company. He's one of Black Falcon's men. Another ten arrived at the inn with Black Falcon this afternoon."

Do you know everyone among them?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because of this." Ian tapped the Gold Dragons on the table.

"Oh, sorry, I asked too much. Um, the people Boss Mogen brought today should all be..." Martha thought for a moment, then spoke with certainty. "Yes, I know every one of them."

"Then among the guests who checked in today, were there any you didn't recognize?" Ian asked again.

"Oh," Seven Hells! Martha cursed inwardly. "This is a crossroads, ser. Not even The Stranger¹ could know every guest here."

"I wasn't expecting you to know every guest. I only need to know how many first-time visitors checked in after eight this morning—the start time. Every single one. I want information on all of them."

The odds of actual players appearing among them were low, but what if they did? There was no harm in being cautious.

"I'm not always in the main hall, so there may be things I missed. I'll need to confirm with Jannie and the others."

"You may ask her, but you cannot tell her why. I don't want news of my coming here to capture fugitives getting out."

"But without Jannie's help, many things will be difficult. Most of the time, I'm in the kitchen. I'll warn her not to—"

"No. When someone tells another person a secret that does not belong to them, then asks them to keep it, there's nothing persuasive about that. If you insist on bringing her in, then you can only tell her everything after I personally warn her."

"Yes, ser."

"Before breakfast tomorrow morning, I want a specific list of the unfamiliar guests who arrived here yesterday."

"A list?"

"I don't mean their names. Just tell me which people they are."

"Yes, ser."

"Also, you said that only half the mercenaries currently staying at this inn are Black Falcon's men?"

"That's right."

"Then hire the other half for me as well. I want absolute control over this place." Ian paused. "Of course, excluding the unfamiliar mercenaries who arrived today. Leave the mercenaries who arrived today alone. Just make note of who they are."

"Other than the unfamiliar mercenaries who arrived today..." Martha wisely did not question this strange condition further. "Do you want all the others? Both groups and individuals?"

"Are there many individuals?"

"Not many, just a few. I didn't count them carefully."

"What about the mercenary companies?"

"Two mercenary companies. Their captains are Spike Denzel and Ser Glason."

"A sellsword knight?"

"That's what he calls himself."

"All right. For those scattered mercenaries, just find some task to send them away first."

"What task?"

"Anything. Deliver letters, deliver wine, whatever. Just get them as far away as possible."

"Then they definitely won't faithfully carry out your task. They'll just take your money and find somewhere far away to enjoy themselves."

"So what was my original purpose?"

"To get them the hell..." Martha stopped halfway through. "Forgive my stupidity, ser."

"As for those two mercenary companies, I can hire them at three times the market rate, on the condition that they obey me absolutely. Can you manage that?"

"Of course, at that price." You could tell them to stick their asses in the air and they'd do it. Martha did not dare say the latter half aloud.

"When you negotiate with them, do not reveal my purpose. Speak only of payment. Then, when I decide the time is right, arrange for those two captains to meet me."

Martha nodded again.

"Are you sure you remembered all of that?"

"Um..." Martha froze for a moment, then hurriedly shook her head. "You gave too many instructions just now. I'm worried I might miss something."

"Can you read?"

"I'm sorry, ser."

"In that case, you'd better memorize my instructions, especially the details. I will not tolerate any negligence or omissions." As he spoke, Ian repeated all of his earlier instructions to Martha.

It was troublesome, but compared to the trouble that would come from botching this, it was nothing.

It took a full ten minutes before Ian barely managed to make the old woman, whose memory was merely average, remember every detail.

"Then," only after confirming that Martha had remembered all his instructions did Ian point to the Gold Dragons on the table, "take them. This is your deposit. If things go smoothly, I'll pay you another sum of the same amount when everything is over."

"The Seven bless you, generous ser." Martha beamed and eagerly swept all the remaining Gold Dragons into her possession.

"Have someone clear this table. I'm going to rest."

Only then did Martha notice that while the ser had been giving her instructions, the two squires who had not spoken a word had completely wiped out the table full of food.

Martha hurried out of the room. Before long, two servants came upstairs and cleaned the room thoroughly.

Out of habit from his previous life, Ian also had the servants bring a basin of water. He rinsed his mouth and washed his face and feet before extinguishing the oil lamp and lying down on a three-layer straw mattress.

The outline of the great net was already largely in place. Once he finished speaking with Black Falcon and the two mercenary captains tomorrow, it would be time to hunt.

Note: 1. The Stranger, one of the Seven Gods of Westeros, represented travelers and death. It had no form.